Obamas offer holiday well-wishes

12/22/12 6:01 AM EST

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama offered their well-wishes to the nation Saturday in a pre-Christmas video address.

"Every year, we commit to love one another. To give of ourselves. To be our brother’s keeper. To be our sister’s keeper," the president said. "But those ideas are not just part of our faith. They’re part of all faiths. And they unite us as Americans."

After a fall of tragedies, he said, the holidays offer a reminder that the United States is "a compassionate nation."

"I know many of you are extending that kindness to the families who are still picking up the pieces from Hurricane Sandy and your prayers to the people of Newtown, Conn.," he said, the first lady finishing his sentence: “So thank you for all that you’ve done this year on behalf of your fellow Americans."